The present invention relates to an illumination body for refrigeration devices, with a multitude of light-emitting diodes (LED).
By way of commercially available lamps a broad wave spectrum in the visible and invisible range is produced. With this maximally 35% of the applied electrical energy is converted into visible light. In the invisible range when required the UV irradiation must be reduced by way of expensive filters. However there remains a high residual component of UV and IR irradiation which burdens living beings, foodstuffs and UV-sensitive objects on account of the high concentration. Also for the resulting high heat burdening suitable measures must be carried out in order to reduce their effect. In order to reduce the effect of this photochemically effective irradiation on foodstuffs one may either reduce the total illumination or select an illumination with a wavelength which creates a lower photochemical activity. Such an illumination may be produced by way of light emitting diodes (LEDs). By way of LEDs monochromatic light with a narrow wavelength band width may be produced. These known LEDs may produce accordingly low-UV light and furthermore have a low IR irradiation. In the field of refrigeration devices this leads to an extremely desired energy saving effect. Furthermore the LEDs have a sevice life which is five to ten times longer with respect to conventional lighting tubes.
The illumination according to DE-U-297 15 157 exploits these advantages. In this document it is suggested to arranged a multitude of LEDs in a position arranged tightly next to one another in a plane on a board. Since it was already known to the applicant that LEDs have an extremely narrow irradiation angle, he suggests arranging at a certain distance over the LEDs a ** diffusely letting through the light. An improved scattering of the light by way of this is only produced in a limited manner.
A further possibility of reducing the disadvantages of the narrow irradiation angle lies in mounting the suitable lighting bodies in a certain arrangement in the refrigeration device in order by way of this to achieve an optical effect of a full irradiation. Such a solution is known from DE-U-297 17 444.
In order according to the previous state of the art to illuminate refrigeration devices with lighting bodies which contain light-emitting diodes according to the state of the art of today one always practically has to provide a device suitably designed for this. It is the object of the present invention to provide an illumination body which may be used instead of todays common lighting tubes without at the same time effecting a reduction of the illumination.
It is further the object of the invention to construct the illumination body in a modular manner so that according to the selection of the number of modules practically all usual standard lengths of lighting tubes may be replaced without having to adapt too much.
This object is achieved by an illumination body for refrigeration devices with the features of the patent claim 1.
Further advantageous embodiment forms are to be deduced from the further claims and their effect and significance is indicated in the subsequent description.